Shrew
/ʃruː/noun
A small insect-eating mammal, or a scolding, irritable person.
Did you know?In Middle English, *shrew* could mean a wicked or cursed person, and the animal name likely came from the belief that the creature was harmful or poisonous.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
scrēawa
“A shrew, the small mammal”
Middle English
ME
shrewe
“A wicked person, villain, or cursed creature”
Middle English
ME
shrew
“A scolding or ill-tempered person; also the animal”
Modern English
EN
shrew
“A small mammal, or a bad-tempered person”